A Plymouth schoolteacher has seen his scary novel for youngsters win a national award – and been named as one of the UK’s best children’s books of the year.

Andrew Beasley, who sits down to pen his hugely popular novels after a long day in class, and then putting his own children to bed, has seen his book SCREAM The Mummy’s Revenge named as one of the best 60 books of 2017 by the famous Book Trust.

He’s on the list alongside such famous names as Jacqueline Wilson, Neil Gaiman, and Chris Packham.

And the first in the SCREAM series has also landed Mr Beasley the “Read Aloud” award from the North Somerset Teachers’ Book Awards, which, despite its regional title, is a national contest.

Author Andrew Beasley is snapped by a young fan (Image: Penny Cross)

The award is for the book that is the best for being read out loud – and was voted for by children.

Mr Beasley, who teaches at Stoke Damerel Primary Academy, said he was delighted with the accolades and said: “You write a book and pour your heart and soul into it and make every effort to challenge yourself, but you don’t know how people will receive it.

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The BookTrust, the UK’s largest children’s reading charity, reaching 3.4million youngsters a year, chose SCREAM The Mummy’s Revenge as one of the best 12 books in the category for 10 to 11 year olds.

It described the Victorian-era novel as “terrifically exciting” and added: “It has it all – mystery, creepy paranormal baddies and lashings of sharp humour.”

Andrew Beasley's SCREAM The Mummy's Revenge was launched at Waterstones in New George Street, Plymouth (Image: Penny Cross)

Mr Beasley, who has also seen his series of adventures featuring the character Ben Kingdom become a hit, said: “I tried combine history with my love of Sherlock Holmes, Dr Who, because there are monsters that are scary, and even a sense of the Famous Five, because the young people are cleverer than the adults.”

Mr Beasley hit the literary heights in 2013 with the publication of his first young person’s novel The Battles Of Ben Kingdom: The Claws Of Evil.